Gobi does his best to shake off the cider once he takes note of the fact that he was missing the water entirely, he started to row again. hoping no one had noticed.
You have succeeded - operation avoid the reefs is complete.
You are all on a small crescent shaped beach. There's one trail leading away from the beach into the trees.
About 50 feet away to your left you can see a wrecked longboat.
"Kia, I believe we might learn something from the longboat," Vel suggests.
Vel moves over to the longboat and prods at it with a piece of driftwood, looking for anything out of place.
"Aye, not a bad idea. Could be another group of people still here." Gobi says.
Assuming the rest of the group endorses the idea as well:
Gobi and Vel's investigations of the wreck are revealing.
Half the longboat is still submerged and where it emerges from the water the sand has been scuffed. Some of the wood has clearly been moved in a way which looks far too organised to have been the natural result of the wind or weather.
As Gobi moves the planks he hears some faint, quickly suppressed noises.
Kia has joined the party by the boat. But, while they were searching, she has been scanning inland for any signs of other life on the island. When she hears the noises, she tries to assess where they may be coming from.
Perception - what is gong on? (1d20 1=8)
Clearly she heard something, but her mind had wandered a bit. Now where was it the noise came from?
Once the boat is pulled up on shore, Anarak pulls his scale armor out of his backpack and begins to put it on while the others examine the wreckage.
He scours the beach for any sign of life (Perception: 1d20+1 = 18) then remarks, "You know. If there are some crazy spirits on this island, they might not want to let us get away. We should probably hide the boat somehow."
Apart from the longboat wreck being examined by Gobi, Vel and Kia, there does not appear to be any sign of life.
Whiteclaw's exploration of the trail reveals very little. There are no obvious footprints and it doesn't appear to be a path that is used much. It's extremely overgrown and leads into the forest.
"Will someone help me hide the boat? I don't relish the idea of swimming back to the captain. We can tie it to those rocks out there and cover it with dead branches..."
Whiteclaw stays guarding the trail - she's not really exploring it, just keeping an eye out in case anything comes down it.
She doesn't move to help with our boat, or explore the wrecked one, she maintains her vigil, though, while the others do.
Kia recovers from her momentary wandering of the mind and realises where the noises came from. "Gobi, there were some noises when you moved those planks. I think we should investigate." She draws her sword and uses it to try to dislodge the suspiciously arranged planks near Gobi.
Seeing his companions rummaging around the longship, Baldrech grumbles to himself, draws both his longswords, and approaches the beached vessel, waiting to see what the others unearth and ready for the worst. "Stay put, Whiteclaw, this shouldn't take long..."
Kia recovers from her momentary wandering of the mind and realises where the noises came from. "Gobi, there were some noises when you moved those planks. I think we should investigate." She draws her sword and uses it to try to dislodge the suspiciously arranged planks near Gobi.
"I heard them, I'm right with you."
Gobi stands ready with his warhammer.
Seeing his companions rummaging around the longship, Baldrech grumbles to himself, draws both his longswords, and approaches the beached vessel, waiting to see what the others unearth and ready for the worst. "Stay put, Whiteclaw, this shouldn't take long..."
"I'm already staying put." she replies, not taking her eyes from the trail, her weapon held at the ready.
As Vel, Gobi, Kia and Baldrech surround the wreck, Vel looks towards the submerged end and notices a stirring in the water and sees a few air bubbles rising.
From within the wreck itself a faint scrabbling sound is heard quite clearly by all four of you.
Whiteclaw holds her position by the trail, snout sampling the air, while Anarak finishes stowing the skiff. He is 10 squares away from the group gathered around the wreck. Whiteclaw is 8 squares away. The terrain is slightly tricky for you, as this is wet sand and the rocks are slippery.
Anarak's Languages: Common, Draconic (listed under Racial Features on my character sheet)
This feels like an Encounter, so I'll go ahead and roll initiative just in case:
Forewarned by the rising bubbles and scrabbling sounds from within the wreck, the party become aware of a head followed by an entire body rising from the water.
The creature is roughly humanoid in shape, but has fin-like protrusions extending down its arms and legs. It is clutching a longspear but doesn't attempt to attack you. It stands watchfully, keeping the spear between you as four other heads rise up behind it. Three of these heads are slightly smaller and have less prominent markings. One of them is a great deal smaller and seems to be juvenile.
"Hmm. Fish people!"
I well enunciated common:
"Hello fish people! It's alright we won't attack. Unless of course you attack us. Are you hiding from anything, or do you live here?"
Gobi stands down from his offensive position and awaits the response of the fish people, whoever they may be.
"Fish people?" mutters Baldrech to himself as he stands outside the wreck with weapons drawn. Clearly not inclined to trust these strange beings that he has yet to see with his own eyes, he takes a cautious step back, ready to pounce should the encounter result in violence.
Vel's hand goes to the orb she wears as a pendant, but she does not do anything else threatening.
"It looks like they're a family, and they don't seem hostile, probably just scared. We should give them space and let them be." Whiteclaw keeps her weapon down, not even in a ready position, perhaps having some sympathy for the fish people.
The fish person continues to eye you all cautiously, but seems slightly reassured when you don't immediately attack. Lowering his longspear a little, he takes a step or two out of the water, gesturing behind him to the other fish folk to stay put.
He speaks. Like Kia, he seems to be using simple words and phrases and is clearly trying to communicate. He points inland and as far as you can tell through the fins is indicating fear and curiosity.
Aquan
"We are leaving this place. It is bad. Why are you here?"
Hearing a commotion behind him, Anarak turns from the skiff in time to see five fish-like creatures rise to face the party.
He slowly draws his great axe in a mighty arc and lets out a deafening roar. He then begins to walk deliberately through the shallow waters towards the creatures, weapon at the ready.
At the sound of Anarak's roar, the fish man turns swiftly, raises his spear again and prepares to defend himself. He calls out urgently to the fish folk behind him.
Aquan
"Back! Be safe."
"Anarak, back off. They're not hostile unless you make them that way. Back up and lower your weapon." There is a bit of a growl from the gnoll as she speaks, and some of the fur on the back of her neck stands up.
"Anarak, back off. They're not hostile unless you make them that way. Back up and lower your weapon." There is a bit of a growl from the gnoll as she speaks, and some of the fur on the back of her neck stands up.
Anarak looks at the gnoll briefly then resumes his stare-down of the fish-people. He growls but halts his advance. Lowering his great axe temporarily, he gives the creatures a backhanded wave with his right hand, as if dismissing them out to sea.
"I don't suppose that any of us can understand what he is saying? But it doesn't sound that threatening. More frightened really."
She puts her sword away very obviously and gestures with both hands to try to get across her meaning.
"We're looking for the stones." She points inland and mimics a block shape "Do you know them? What are you afraid of?"
"(apart from us that is...)"
Using her instinct, she tries, both to get across her message of peace and divine what on earth they are trying to say.
Whiteclaw's growled command to Anarak and Kia's random gestures serve to calm the fish man a little. He remains watchful and keeps his longspear ready, but makes no move to either attack or flee.
He looks hard at Kia and speaks again.
Aquan
My family are leaving this place. It's not safe. Why are you waving your arms towards the forest? That is where the danger is."
From his face and gestures you can just about make out that he's frightened of something in the forest.
He points at Gobi and makes a gesture indicating some great fear.
Aquan
Beings like him, but grey and terrible with fiery eyes.
Vel looks thoughtful, more so than the others have seen before, and takes off her pack. Beginning to root through it, she says, "I might have a way to understand it. It takes 10 minutes to prepare, though, and it might look suspect."
"Anarak, back off. They're not hostile unless you make them that way. Back up and lower your weapon." There is a bit of a growl from the gnoll as she speaks, and some of the fur on the back of her neck stands up.
Whiteclaw certainly is your run of the mill gnoll, thinks Baldrech in wonder as his hyena-like companion urges pacifism, and that walking lizard is acting like a buffoon... how did Whiteclaw ever get entrusted to him?. The shifter keeps looking at the unfolding scene silently, with interest.
Gobi looks around for a few moments
"Me? Ya 'spose they think I'm one of their gods or some such?" he chuckles slightly "Ten minutes eh?"
After this he lowers his weapon completely and summons the fish-people closer.
"Come on now fellas, come out of the water and let us talk. We ain't going ta' hurt ya. We're just looking for some tall runes." He then picks up a pebble and holds it up, followed by raising his hand as high as he can to gesture a large height.
Eyeing Gobi with intense curiosity, but seemingly reassured by the group's behaviour, the fish man drops his longspear to his side and takes a cautious step forward. He keeps as much distance between himself and Anarak as possible, and makes no move to recall his companions.
Vel fishes her spellbook out of her pack, along with various vials and flasks of colorful liquids and powders. She takes the silk square they were padded in and lays it out on the beach, then sits cross-legged beside it and begins to concentrate.
As Vel begins her ritual, the fish man approaches carefully. He seems fascinated.
Slightly embarrassed at his reaction, and at being reprimanded by the gnoll, Anarak lowers and re-clasps his axe. Well, they drew weapons first, he shrugs, then returns to covering the skiff with wood.
Once he's finished, he walks slowly back to the beach, not far from where Kia is in the process of performing some sort of ritual. Conscious of the wariness of the fish-people, he maintains his distance, quietly standing guard.
For her part, Whiteclaw, too, goes back to guarding the trail, trying to make sure that nothing comes at us from the depths of the island while the others are involved with the ritual.
Kia takes a gentle step closer to the fish-man and tries to look harmless.
"My friend Vel here is going to try to understand what you are saying., I don't suppose that will help you understand us, but at least half the conversation will make sense."
She gestures to herself.
"I'm called Kia. And you?" She tries not to point because she knows that can upset some people. Instead she gestures with her hand.
Hurry up Vel...
Hurry up Vel...
Vel works deftly under the watchful eyes of her comrades. The fish man does not flee. If anything, he seems anxious to help and possibly amused by Kia's attempts to communicate.
Primordial
"This will help us to speak to each other I think. An amazing thing. I would love to have such knowledge."
Kia looks at what Vel is doing and thinks she is starting to understand the ritual. Gently, so as not to distract Vel, he adds her take in the ritual.